Last night the United States Senate voted to continue giving subsidies to five major U.S. oil companies. These companies are, and have been, making record profits for years even as Americans are struggling financially.
It is noteworthy that world oil prices are set by OPEC and U.S. oil companies benefit from these exorbitant prices even though the cost of producing a domestic barrel of oil is estimated at $20.
The news is absolutely inundated with article after article about congressional deficit spending and how critical it is that this spending be reduced and the national debt be paid down.
Yet Congress steadfastly refuses to take any action to reduce its spending. I notice that no one in Congress is suggesting that we eliminate earmarks, which by the way are a perversion of the legislative system. They cannot bear to have any infringements on their right to spend, and, yes, waste, much of the taxpayers’ money.
No one is suggesting that the President be given the “line item veto” so that he can cut out the pork that individual congressmen consistently add to important legislation.
Conservatives think that reforming (reducing, eliminating or privatizing) entitlements that constitute the much needed financial safety net for the less fortunate in our rough and tumble cowboy economic system are the way to reduce the deficit.
Meanwhile they seek to protect tax breaks for the most wealthy and many corporations that do not pay taxes at all. They also seem to think defense spending should be exempt from spending cuts.
I don’t hear any conservatives calling for pulling out of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and now Libya. Are Americans aware that the U.S. Government spends more on defense than all the other countries in the world combined? Talk about waste! What is it we expect to get from these wars anyway?
Liberals think that eliminating the Bush tax cuts and even increasing taxes on the wealthy to a more historical norm will eliminate our financial woes.
Compromise is not the answer. Republicans and Democrats must be smoking the same dope. The fact is that our national budget IS bloated, wasteful and sorely in need of reform.
It is also true we are taxed enough already. I just received a check from my former employer for some unexercised stock options. The withholding was 37 percent. That is enough already! Too much even.
It is true that we must solve spending problems. Reducing unneeded subsidies to corporations and many businesses must be apart of that. Ending useless wars and eliminating corruption in the Social Security and Medicare systems must also be apart.
One thing I know: This problem is solvable, but not as long as our legislature continues to bicker over partisan minutia, politicize every issue and above all protect their own interests and prerogatives at the expense of American well-being.
Is it any wonder that public opinion poll after public opinion poll shows pathetically low approval rates for Congress?
Come on, America, demand something better. It’s time to go into the streets and protest. Perhaps it’s time for a general strike.
David Browning
Peachtree City, Ga.
